Propaganda Stamps
All foreign Legionnaires were given the same free postal franking privilege as their German comrades, however, special legion postage stamps and labels were used on German military mail. These so-called Legion stamps and labels were printed and issued by Pro-nazi private committees to raise funds that partially supported foreign volunteers. The stamps fell into two general classifications:
Legion labels, printed with no postal value and used as such on “Feldpost” (field post) mail (usually purchased by volunteers and family members).
Semipostal stamps, produced in the country that formed the particular legion. These stamps did have postal value. The term semipostal indicates a stamp with two values on it- the first number is the actual cost of postage, while the second is a surtax, used in this instance to support the volunteers.
Stamps with valid postal values were issued in Norway, France, Netherlands and Croatia. These stamps represented legionnaires as patriots fighting for a unified Europe against communism.
Norwegian semipostal stamp.
Figure 1.
The cover in figure 1 illustrates a legitimate post office semipostal stamp showing a Norwegian legionnaire giving orders. The soldier shows him wearing the Norwegian helmet and uniform. On his left arm is an emblem showing “the cross of Saint Olaf,” the symbol used by members of the Quisling (Nazi) party. In the background of the legionnaire stamp are both the Norwegian and Finnish flags. The propaganda value was to encourage members of the Quisling party to enlist in the Finnish forces; however, most volunteers ended up joining the German Waffen SS and wearing SS-Uniforms. The cover was mailed to a volunteer and was censored by German military authorities, with a blue “Gepruft Feldpostprufstelle” [Inspected Field Post Examiners Office]. Another set of semipostals printed and officially used for postal mail was the Dutch Legion stamps. Two semi-postal stamps were issued by the Dutch postal administration on 1 November 1942. These semipostal stamps illustrate a Dutch volunteer wearing the German SS uniform. Notice the Germanic-Dutch “wolf hook” worn on their collar and the Dutch shield. Both stamps were printed in sheets of one hundred.
Figure 2.
In addition, two souvenir sheets shown in figure 2 were printed showing the same design. The 1st stamp is valued at 7-1/2 (+) 2-1/2Cents, the design is in horizontal format, has a dark red color. The 2nd stamp is valued at 12-1/2 (+) 87-1/2Cents, the design is in vertical format, has an ultramarine color. Both sheets have a Dutch inscription, which reads in English “Stamp issued for the benefit of the supply funds of the Dutch Legion, 1942.”
Another interesting postal issue was the French Tricolore stamps. In October 12, 1942, Vichy France issued a pair of semipostals honoring the French Tricolore Legion, which was an attempt by the Vichy government to legitimize a military unit to protect French interest. These stamps were issued in sheets of 20 containing two rows of five of the blue stamps, then a single row of five white “albino” stamps with no postal value, followed by two rows of stamps in red. The semipostals have a postal value of 1.20 Francs with a surcharge of 8.80 Francs. The design shows the face of a French soldier wearing a beret and in the background a column of Napoleonic grenadiers marching.
Figure 3.
Figure 3, illustrates a German military cover that was mailed by a French Volunteer who was stationed in the military training barracks in Debica, Poland. The cover has two postal canceled French Tricolore stamps, which were not required on military mail because all field mail was free of postal charge.
Legion Tricolore stamps.
The French Tricolore was formed in June 28, 1942 and was composed of French Eastern Front veterans. It was quietly dissolved after only 6 months in existence. Hitler didn’t approve the Legion on transferring into a French governing system. Former members of the Legion Tricolore were allowed to rejoin the French Volunteer Legion.
Legion Labels
Concerning the Legion Labels, the Germans had no quarrels on having these labels used on military mail. Mainly because there was no postal charge on field mail and because most of the mail came from foreign volunteers and family members who were supporting the Germans. The following countries issued propaganda labels: Flemish, Walloon, Denmark and France. Family members or collectors often arranged for complete sets of these legion labels to be affixed to envelopes, which were canceled to order at Waffen-SS recruiting offices. Most of the legion covers that were mailed through the German field post system were censored.
Figure 4.
A Flemish volunteer (NA).
For example, figure 4 shows such a cover that was mailed through the German SS recruiting office. The postal cover is addressed to Feldpost number 07515AP a designated SS-recruiting facility. A SASE (self addressed stamped envelope) was mailed to the “VLAAMISCHE VOORZORGSCOMTIG” (Flemish Charity Committee), Laken-weversstraat 1, Brussels. An SS roller cancel was applied to the stamps. This cover shows a set of four, Flemish Legion Propaganda labels illustrating medieval Flemish Knights. These labels were sold by pro-Nazi sponsors and at local post offices. The legion labels are listed in the Michel German Feldpost Catalogue in the section “Deutsche Besetzungsausgaben 1939-45” [German Occupation Issues 1939-45].
Figure 5.
Legion propaganda labels commemorated special military events. A pair of Danish legion stamps was issued to commemorate the memorial service of a fallen leader. The Danish commander Count Christian F. von Schalburg, who was killed in action on the Eastern Front, was one such officer commemorated (figure 5). The vertical se-tenant pairs were sold in blocks of ten by pro-Nazi Danish groups in early September 1943. These labels have a color portrait of von Schalburg in Waffen-SS uniform. The upper label bears the denomination “50” and is inscribed: “Ved Ofre skabtes Danmarks Ere/C.F.V. Schalburgs Mindefond” (Our sacrifice created Denmark’s honor). It also bears the Danish arm shield on each side of the portrait. The lower label has no denomination but the same inscription with one of the shields bearing the SS runes. In addition the headquarters for the Schalburg fund was at Falkonergaardsvei 11, Copenhagen, (abbreviated “Kbhvn”). This address also appears on the lower label. These labels are very rare.
Figure 6.
French volunteers in German service (Signal).
Figure 7: stamps from Flanders.
Figure 8: labels for Galician Division.
Political groups in Vichy France printed many charity stamps to honor the French Volunteer Legion (FVL). Figure 6, shows an interesting set of five FVL labels in blocks of four, illustrating French volunteers in different battle scenes of the Eastern Front. The pictures depict these troops with inadequate winter clothing and modern equipment. One picture shows an obsolete French Renault tank, which was no match against the Russian T-34 Medium tanks. The propaganda was to avenge Napoleon’s defeat in Russia by showing Frenchmen at the gates of Moscow. These stamps were issued in 1942 to commemorate the 130th anniversary of the Battle of Borodino during Napoleon’s drive towards Moscow. Notice the FVL troops saluting Napoleonic Grenadiers. Not all printed legion labels were issued. Figure 7 shows a striking set of five stamps from Flanders. These stamps showing SS volunteers next to German aircraft were printed but not issued. The majority of Flemish volunteers were drafted into the Waffen-SS or used in other military organizations such as the German NSKK aircorps. Legion propaganda stamps were also printed in the eastern liberated countries of Ukraine and Latvia. In September 1943, the Soldiers Welfare Fund in the Ukraine issued a pair of stamps commemorating the Galician Division. The stamps were sold in recruiting and divisional support stations. The stamps in figure 8 show legionnaires in German uniform with the Galician National Shield in the background. The inscription reads “Riflemen Division SS.” In August 1944, essays were prepared and presented to German authorities but were to late to be taken into consideration as Riga fell to the Soviets in October. The essays illustrate Latvian volunteers and mythical subjects. Four stamps were selected from the 15 stamp designs shown in figure 9.
Latvian volunteers.
Figure 10: charity labels from the NSAP.
Pro-nazi party groups issued a number of charity labels indicating to some extent that Nazi party members were of Christian faith compared to the atheistic communists. Three Christmas seals with stylized Swastikas from the NSAP (Danish National Socialist Party) are shown in figure 10. Besides stamps or labels, postal cancels with propaganda inscription honoring volunteer legions were used in occupied countries. Illustrated in figure 11 is a French cover from Cannes with a machine cancellation celebrating the anniversary of the French Volunteer Legion. The Norwegian cover in figure 12 has a postal cancel “NORSK FRONT,” honoring Norwegian volunteers on the Eastern Front.
Figure 11.
Figure 12.
Bibliography
Ya Afangulskii, “THE HOLY WAR AGAINST BOLSHEVISM“, Third Reich Study Group (TRSG) Bulletin No. XXI, October 1987.
Beede, Painter, Harper and Szymanski, “GERMANY’S FOREIGN LEGIONS“, German Philatelic Society Specialist (GPS), Vol XIX 1968, (Issues 1, 3, 5, 6, 7 & 9).
MICHEL FELDPOST HANDBOOK CATALOGUE, 2nd Edition.
LittleJohn, David, FOREIGN LEGIONS OF THE THIRD REICH, (Vol. I-IV).
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Title: AF-001 - THE AXIS FORCES 1
Sinossi: April 1941: SS motorcyclists in Belgrad, SS cavalry units on the Eastern Front, Autumn-Winter 1941-42, Laurits Jensen - Free Corps Denmark, The French volunteers of the N.S.K.K. Motorgruppe Luftwaffe, The SS-Division Wiking in the Caucasus: Autumn 1942, Foreign volunteer legion stamp propaganda in the third reich.
di Massimilano Afiero. Serie a cura di Massimilano Afiero. Cover & Art Design: Luca S. Cristini e Anna Cristini.
e-book ISBN: 9788893271998
AUTORE - AUTHOR
Massimiliano Afiero nasce ad Afragola (Napoli) nel 1964. Insegnante di informatica, programmatore, ma soprattutto appassionato studioso del secondo conflitto mondiale, ha pubblicato numerosi articoli sulle principali riviste di Storia a diffusione nazionale, come Storia del XX Secolo, Storia e Battaglie, Storia del Novecento, Raids, Volontari, Milites, Thule Italia, Storia in Rete e Storia Verità e collabora attivamente con numerosi siti web a carattere storico-militare. Uno dei pochi ricercatori storici italiani ad aver intervistato personalmente numerosi reduci e veterani delle formazioni dell'Asse, in particolare della Waffen-SS, pubblicando le loro storie inedite. Ha al suo attivo numerose conferenze tenute in tutto il territorio nazionale sul fenomeno della presenza di volontari stranieri nelle forze armate tedesche durante la Seconda Guerra Mondiale. Dal novembre 2004 al dicembre 2008 è stato Consulente storico e Direttore Tecnico della rivista "Volontari". Dal maggio 2008 Caporedattore della rivista bimestrale SGM (SECONDA GUERRA MONDIALE) pubblicata dall'Editoriale Lupo. Dal gennaio 2009 è iniziata la pubblicazione della nuova rivista Ritterkreuz, dedicata alla storia militare delle formazioni dell'Asse durante la Seconda Guerra Mondiale e dal 2013 la pubblicazione della collana FRONTI di GUERRA.
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THE AXIS FORCES 1 (WW2 Axis Forces) Page 5
